The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-12

loped by their side; and she would have liked
TO kiss Ernest again, only there was no ex-
cuse, so she only pressed his hand, feeling
that the sorrow Of the empty years which
were gone was almost atoned for by this hour
of Joy.
Then they went ashore to the hotel, and sat
together In the pleasant sitting room which
Dorothy had chosen, and made sweet with
great punches of violets for she remembered
that Ernest loved violets), and talked At
length Mr.. Cardus and Jeremy went of TO
see about getting the things through the Gus
tom house, where they arrived to find
Mazooku keeping half dozen gorgeous off,
cas, who wanted TO open a box at bay with
his knobsticks, and plastering them with Of
fensive epithets, which fortunately they did
not understand.
"Doll," said Erssst presently, at is
beautiful day, is 1t mott VIII you take me
for walk, deari I should like TO go for q
walk
ayes, Ernest, of course WILL"
"You are sure you do not mind being seen
with a blind man; you must give me your
hand to hold, you know
"Ernest, how can youi"
And so, taking Ernest by the hand, she led
him through tho crowded streets with tender
care, and on to the quiet Hoe. And as they
passed. the people turned TO look at the hand
some young fellow who was blind, and some
thought that they would not mind little
blindness If 1t led to being personally con-
Quoted by SO sweet a girl.
Soon they reached the garden.
"Now tell me about yourself, Ernest. What
have you been doing all these long years, be-
sides growing bigger and handsomer, and
getting that hard look about the MOUTH"
"a great many things, Doll. Shooting,
fighting playing the fool"
"Pshawl know all that, or at least can
guess it. What have you been doing In your
mind, you knowi'
"Why, thinking of you, of course, Dollr
"Ernest, if you talk to me like that, will
go away, and leave you to find your own
way home. 1 know well of whom you have
been thinking every day and every night 1t
was not of me. Now, confess It,"
"Don't let's talk of her, Doll If you talk
of the devil, you know, you sometimes raise
him, not that he requires much raising in
this instance" he laughed bitterly.
II was so sorry for you, Ernest dear, and
did my best; indeed l did. But l could do
nothing with her. She must have been off
her head, or the man and Florence had some
power over her; or perhaps she never really
cared for you; there are some women, you
know, who seem very sweet, but cannot
truly care for anybody except themselves.
At any rate, she married, and has family
of children, for have seen their births in the
paper.
aOh, Ernest, when think of all you must
have suffered out there about that woman
cease to be sorry for her and begin to hate
her. am afraid you have been very un-
| happy, Ernest, all these years"
"Ah, yes, have been unhappy sometimes
| sometimes have consoled myself. There,
what is the use of telling liess i have always
| been unhappy, and never SO much SO as when
| have been in process of consolation ltlt
| you should not hate her, poor girl; perhaps
she has her bad times too; only, fortunately,
| you women cannot feel, at least not much
not like us, mean"
| little girl, who was trundling hoop
down the gravel path, stopped her hoop to
look at the pair. She was very pretty, with
large dark eyes, but Dorothy noticed that
she had curious mark upon her forehead
Presently Dorothy saw her run back toward
an extremely tall and graceful woman who
was sauntering along, followed at some dis
tanco by nurse with baby in her arms,
and turning occasionally to look at the beds
Of spring flowers hyacinths and tulips, which
bordered the path.
ooh, MOTHER" she heard her call out In a
clear voice of childhood, "there is such nice
| pllnu mani I1e lsHU Olu uuu ugly, anu ne
hasn't dog, and he doesn't ask for pennies
Why Is he blind if he hasn't dog and doesn't
ask for pennies.'
Blindness according to this little lady'i
ideas, evidently sprung from the presence Of
a cur and an unsatisfied hunger for copper
coin. Sometimes it does
The tall, graceful lady looked up care
lessly, saying, "Hush. dearp She was quit
close to them now, for they were walking to
ward each other, and Dorothy gave q grea
gasp, for before her stood Eva Plowden
There was no doubt about 1t She was pale
and haughtier looking than of yore: but l
was She No one who had once seen her coult
mistake that queenly beauty. Certainl.
Dorothy could not mistake it,
"What is the matter Doll2" said Ernest
carelessly. He was thinking of other things
"Nothing-I hurt myself" They wer
quite close now
And Eva, too, looked at them, and she, toe
saw the face she had never thought to Sc
again. With all her eyes, and with her Lip
parted as though to cry out, she gazed at tn
sight before her-slowly, slowly, taking in a
1t meant.
They were nearly level now.
Then there leaped up into her eyes and fac
the eyes and face which a second before la
been SO calm and statue like-a wild light {
love, and intensity Of passionate and jealor
desire, such as is not often to be seen on I'll
! faces of women.
"Ernest there, and Ernest blind, and beiil
led by the hand of Dorothy, and lookin
, happy with herl How dared she touch h,
love! How dared he look happy with her
a Those were the thoughts which flashed throue
a her troubled mind
a She made step toward them as though
address him, and the blind eyes fell upon b.
n lovely face and wandered over it. 1t mat
her mad His eyes were on her face, al
yet he could not see her. Oh, Godl
Il Dorothy saw the motion, and moved by
y overmastering instinct threw herself betwe'
them In an attitude of protection not unmix
II with defiance. And so, for a second, the
eyes flashing and their bosoms heaving wi
It emotion, the two women stood face to fac
d and the blind, pathetic eyes wandered u
z easily over both, feeling presence they we
unable to define
1t was tragic, almost dreadful seer
The passions it revealed were too intense
Is words, Us no brush can justly paint lar
re scape made vivid by the unnatural tiercen
of the lightning.
Of "Wel, Doll, why do you stopi" he said
* patiently.
q His voice broke the spell. Eva withdr
as her arm, which was half outstretched, u
Mt touched her lips with her finger as though
enjoin silence, Then deep misery spread
be self over her flushed face, her head sunk lc
and sue passed thence with rapid steps. Pr
d, emily the nurse with the baby followed Il
re and Dorothy noticed vaguely that the ch
y, had also mark upon its forehead.
to whole thing had not taken forty seconds.
"Doll," said Ernest, with wild voice, {
rd commencing to tremble, "who was that pas
he us"
Ilu "A lady," was the answer
ey "a lady; yes, know that-what ladyf'
II don't know. A lady it'll children"
'or was fib, but she could not tell him then;
$50 instinct warned her not to do SO.
IN, "Oh 1t is strange, DOLL strange; but
you know, felt just now as though Eva
very near met Come, let us go homeln
IN Just then the cloud got over the sun ags
got and they walked home in tho shadow.
parently, too, all their talkativeness had G
the w:y &c .ho err. They had nothing to
sic ITO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT,